Dutch media giant considers legal challenge against ad ban

The country introduced a ban on “untargeted” advertising of games deemed to be “high-risk”, including online betting and casino gaming.

Under the ban, operators may not advertise on television, radio or in public spaces whether indoors or outdoors, from 1 January, 2023.

The ban followed a large amount of political pressure since online gambling launched in the country last year, with a number of MPs calling for strict limits on gambling ads.

In response to the ban, though, media conglomerate Talpa may now take legal action against the government.

A spokesperson for Talpa told iGB that the business – which owns channels such as SBS6, Net5 and Veronica – is “investigating” the possibility of a legal challenge.

While broadcast advertisements will be banned from the start of next year, sport sponsorship will remain in place until the start of 2025, to allow for clubs to find new sponsors.

Digital ads, meanwhile, will be subject to new restrictions as part of the ban, with advertisers having to prove that their ads cannot be seen by those aged under 24.